Rain Maker

Tropical Storm Fay continues to impact our school and area. Stalled about 46 miles away from us off Florida's coast we have seen dramatic changes. Initially we had light rain and moderate winds. When I left school yesterday I emptied my rain gauges. In the last 24 hours we have seen 6.5 inches of rain and winds that have gusted to over 35 miles an hour (according to my hand held wind gauge)throughout the day. My garden is flooded and there is a stream running between the flower beds. There is erosion at the base of my portable and we brought our students in from the portables all day due to the worsening conditions.

Ponds in our neighborhoods are filled and are now creeping up to the back door of houses, young trees are being uprooted due to winds and loose root systems, but we aren't complaining. Our neighbors in Brevard and Volusia county are having power outages, beach erosion and wide spread flooding.

This is really just the beginning of our tropical system and a reminder of the importance of being prepared. Should be an interesting season. And yes, for those that are wondering, all of my wind socks and wind chimes are safely tucked away for a sunnier day!